The Cart Driver

From: Pasanen Panu <passo_at_students.cc.tut.fi>
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 15:36:09 +0200 (EET)


 After recently having seen the Taxi Driver movie, a scenario idea  struck me. This works best at Darjiin/Alkothi environment. The PC's  could be high-moralistic working class members from Ulifilas, and  launch the action, or got involved somehow else...

 A quite young man is driven away from his hometown because of his  black moods (somekind of mental illness or possession), and goes  to Darjiin to work as a Cart-puller. (Don't really know if there  really are those, just assuming.) He sees all kinds of shit around  him, people taking drugs, cops taking bribes, whores, cutthroats,  people who don't care about anyone, no trust or smile anywhere.

 He manages to get to know someone with close relations to a  politician, who is working to get a post as police's supervisor.  This politician promises the higher-class people a way out of the  scum of the streets, by raising taxes from the unemployed and  generally, by driving the worse-off folks to the corner. Police  force would also be increased (maybe the politician is from  Ulifilas, too.) The young man gets to talk to the politician  as he is taking a drive, and he finds out that politicians  target is primarily money, and cleaning the dirt out of the  street would just be a side-effect.

 Young man (Travis, if you like) gets sick. He can't live no more,  when the whole town is making sin against Yelm the Emperor. He  decides (or maybe he is possessed) that Shargash needs to purify  the earth, wash it with blood and sanctify it with ashes and death.  Travis leaves in a moment from the Deezola's temple and takes off  to Alkoth, to pound the Drum of Doom. For added excitement, a  nurse has heard Travis speaking while in his feverish fits about  what he plans to do, but dismissed 'em as just nightmares. When  Travis went, he maybe left a note, or said something to a guard,  about 'Bringing Cleanser and Justice.'

 Nurse talks to his/her priest(ess), who realizes what the lad is  about to do (his state was really bad, and she believes that in  his insanity Travis might pound the drum.) Priest(ess) tells about  this to the beforementioned politician, who then launchs a hurried  chase to stop this mass-murder from happening. Populace does not  need to know, he thinks, especially as election is coming. Or  he wants to save his deed as a last card to play. (Or if people  do not get to vote, maybe he wants to impress the council with it.)

 There is no fixed end for this. Maybe the lad is killed on the way,  and his relatives in Ulifilas sue the politician. Maybe Drum starts  to sound the music of death over Alkoth, and Darjiin will be put to  the fire (unless Red Army prevents this.) For those, who are interested  in politics of the Empire, feel free to abuse this.  

 Panu Pasanen.


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